The problem with this question is they are few gun builders that are great at every part of gun building. You have to have an artist eye and a gift in woodworking, good mechanical skills. I've seen beautiful mechanical skills (lock/barrel fit) that's architecture was horrible. I've good architecture and terrible inletting. It has to all come together to produce a truly fine rifle. Few today have all these skills. It's not their fault it just peoples talents are usually specific, and unfortunately it near impossible to learn as skill that someone else is talented in no matter how hard you try.
I have a friend that a terrific shot. He never practices and has won the Maryland State Championship 4-5 times and has records at Friendship. He has a natural ability to hold a rifle still for a long period of time and pull the trigger. Me, I do ok if I practice, but I will never be able to have the skill that he does no matter how long I practice. Because I can't learn it, it's a natural talent. The same goes with gun building.
That said, you really have to be a "Jack of all trades master of all" to be a great gun builder. There's a very short list of these people but from the work I've seen, Eric Kettenburg, Allen Martin, and Keith Casteel. They may not be in a class by themselves, but it doesn't take long to call the roll... <--- Bum Phillips (former Houston Oilers football coach)
A Side Note.... I personally don't think many of the makers of the original muzzleloaders we see today were great in all area of gun building. I honestly can't see what makes them great other than there ability to last to today. Of course, others are because they transcend what we think of as a work of art.
S'Poke
